Veteran Nollywood actor Dele Odule has mourned his longtime friend and colleague Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, describing his death as a painful loss that words cannot fully express.
Odule paid tribute to the late Yoruba actor in an Instagram post on Wednesday, August 26, recalling a friendship that began when they were young men and grew into a brotherhood lasting nearly four decades.
“Taiwo, this is a loss that no words I put out can adequately describe,” Odule wrote, reflecting on how their relationship developed over the years from friendship into a close family-like bond.
The actor also shared old videos of himself and Ogogo enjoying social gatherings, including moments of the pair dancing together. The posts offered a glimpse into the personal relationship behind their long professional association.
Odule praised Ogogo’s contribution to Nigerian theatre and his strong connection to Ilaro, Ogun State, where the actor was buried according to Islamic rites. He noted that the late actor’s death had prompted an outpouring of grief from colleagues, fans and residents of his hometown.
Remembering their close friendship with fellow veteran actor Yinka Quadri, Odule said Ogogo’s absence would be deeply felt. “I will miss you a lot, Taiwo. I will miss the happiness you always exude. Who will Yinka and I banter with now?” he wrote.
He added that Ogogo had left behind a void that would be difficult to fill, saying, “We didn’t just lose our colleague. We lost a brother.” Odule ended the tribute by praying that Allah accept Ogogo’s good deeds and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus.
Ogogo died on Sunday, August 23, after battling stage-four cancer. His death has triggered tributes across Nigeria’s entertainment industry, with Odule among the Nollywood veterans who attended his burial in Ilaro.
